Elk wander through the streets of Estes Park in autumn as if they had a lease on the place. During the rut, in late September and October, bulls bugle on the lawns and golf course, and visitors line up with cameras at a respectful distance, while the town itself, sitting at around 7,500 feet in a mountain bowl where the Big Thompson and Fall rivers meet, carries on with its cafes, fudge shops and outdoor stores. It is the eastern gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park and the starting point for Trail Ridge Road.
The Stanley Hotel, a white Colonial Revival building on a hill above town, opened in 1909 and was built by the inventor F. O. Stanley, who came to Colorado hoping the mountain air would cure his tuberculosis. Stephen King stayed there with his wife in 1974 and the visit inspired The Shining, which is why the hotel now runs ghost tours. The film that followed used a different building for its exteriors, but the story clings to the hotel all the same.
Trail Ridge Road, US 34, climbs out of Estes Park into the park and across the Continental Divide, reaching 12,183 feet, the highest continuous paved highway in the United States. For about eleven miles it runs above the treeline, over open tundra where marmots whistle, elk graze in summer and the wind blows hard. Bends are broad, climbs are long, and the drop-offs are steep, with few guardrails in places. The road usually closes in mid October and reopens around Memorial Day, though snow can close it at any time, and in summer a timed-entry reservation for the park is often required, so check the park's website.
Everything you need is in Estes Park, which has just over six thousand year-round residents and many more visitors. Take on fuel in town, because there is none on the road itself. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August, with lightning exposed on the tundra, so aim to cross in the morning. Dress for a temperature drop of twenty degrees or more between town and summit. The ride rewards early starts, light traffic and a hot drink at the visitor centre on the way down.